Who really has time to document employee personnel issues? “If I write down every meeting I have with an employee, I will never get any real work done” is a common theme that small business lawyers often hear from their clients. Well, unless you enjoy the thought of undergoing a two-year employment litigation battle, its more than worth the time and effort to document employee personnel issues. The truth is, employment litigation is exploding throughout the Country. Documentation tells the story more convincingly than your own word given after the fact during litigation. Moreover, memories fade, but documents don’t forget. Take these simple steps to document employee performance problems and you will be on your way toward protecting your small business from needless liability:

State the Facts. Its only takes a few minutes to jot down the facts from an employee meeting. Don’t bother providing your opinion. It is not valuable and takes much more time. “Meeting with Jane Doe on June 1st to discuss her repeated tardiness on May 15, 16 and 17. Informed her that continued tardiness will lead to discipline up to and including termination” is all that is needed in a particular situation. There is no reason to add comments such as “I do not believe Jane is willing to change her ways.” This is unhelpful and suggests a bias against your employee.

Be Accurate. If you are going to take the time to put it in writing, makes sure it is accurate. If Jane Doe was absent on May 15th, make sure that you got the date right. Otherwise, if there is ever a question about whether Jane was absent, the document you have created for your small business might be questioned.

Take the Time to Prepare the Document Right After the Meeting. The employee meeting just ended, but now your phone is ringing. Do you take the call and promise yourself that you will document the employee meeting at the end of the day? Don’t do it. Put the call on hold, jot down your notes from the meeting and then take the call. It’s that simple, and the best way to ensure that you actually do document the meeting. Otherwise, if history is any judge, the meeting won’t be documented at all. Simply put, written documentation should be prepared contemporaneous with the event if possible.

Cover All The Topics. If your meeting with a subordinate involved three distinct areas of discussion, at least mention all three in the written documentation. Otherwise, someone (a jury) may question if you really discussed point number three as you claim, but never bothered to write it down.

With these simple steps, you can help protect your small business from liability, while, at the same time, providing consistency in your workforce. You can also consult Melvin, a popular business law firm in New York for more tips and how to make sure that you are doing each process correctly.

Small Business Law

Having an idea and taking it into your own hands is what millions of people do when they open their own business. Owning your own business can be a dream come true. It’s an opportunity to make something from nothing, to take charge of your own destiny. People may open a small business for a number of reasons, the opportunity to be in charge of their income, set their own schedule, or just work for themselves. Opening a business is a stressful and time consuming process. When planning a business, most entrepreneurs consider things like location, logistics, product, accounting, and staffing. All of those things are crucial to a successful business. Something many entrepreneurs forget to take into consideration is legal help.

A small business may seem like a relatively simple undertaking, but there are actually a lot of details that can really get you into trouble. To start with, you have to decide whether or not you will incorporate your business. This can be a complicated process, and there are a lot of factors you need to consider before making your decision. You also need to know labor laws for any employees you will hire. Even if you employ one person, there are laws and requirements that must be met to stay in compliance with state and federal laws. Contracts will probably come into play at some point too. Whether it is a simple lease agreement for your office space, or a complicated document for a purchasing contract, chances are you will need some help sorting out what you are agreeing to. Depending on the business you are in, liability may become an issue at some point as well. For all of these scenarios, you need someone knowledgeable in business law to help you navigate the details.

Finding the right business attorney doesn’t have to be a hard process. You should check their credentials, and ask around about their reputation. See how long they’ve been practicing, and ask if they specialize in any particular area. Ask if they have any specialized training that might give them an advantage over other attorneys. Finally, consider the scope of your business and decide if this attorney will meet all of your needs.

Starting your own small business can be a rewarding process. You get to see something from start to finish, and you get to put your own touch on everything. A small business allows you to be in control of your own future, and be your own boss. Finding a qualified business attorney will help you maintain a good grasp on the needs of your business, and protect the fruits of your labor.

Were you recently involved in an accident in the Syracuse area? You should consider hiring a specialized lawyer to represent you. You might need representation in court if the other party involved decides to file a lawsuit against you or if their insurance company is not willing to compensate you. You might also need a specialized lawyer to negotiate with the insurance provider of the party responsible for the accident.

Accident lawyers in Syracuse can help you in a number of scenarios and advice you on the best course of action. Typically, insurance providers try to settle things out of court by offering a lumpsum. If you are not responsible for the accident, the insurance company of the party responsible for the accident will try to settle with you for as little as possible. You should seek help from a specialized lawyer so they can negotiate with the insurance provider.
It is important to get as much as possible from the insurance provider of the party responsible for the accident since this is the only time you will receive a compensation for this event. If the accident will have an impact on your health in the future, cause mental trauma or even prevent you from progressing in your career, the lawyer who represents you will be able to prove this to the insurance provider and obtain a larger compensation. If you do not have a specialized lawyer to negotiate with the insurance provider, the insurance company will probably try to get away with only covering the medical bills that directly resulted from the accident.

If the other party involved in the accident wants to take things to court because they are contesting what happened, you definitely need to hire an accident lawyer to represent you. They will use their experience and expertise to demonstrate what really happened. Hire someone who has experience with dealing with similar cases and who has a good track record. You can obtain a compensation for the accident even if the other party is trying to deny any responsibility since a good lawyer will be able to prove what really happened.

You need to take action as quickly as possible after being involved in an accident. This also applies if you can be held responsible for the accident. You should contact different accident lawyers in the Syracuse area to find out more about their background and to find someone who is interested in your case.

You should gather all the documents that are relevant to the accident and to any medical bill or other expense that resulted from the accident. This includes the police report, pictures of your damaged vehicle, any insurance claim that you filed, hospital bills and any other bills for expenses that resulted from the accident. Set up a free consultation with a specialized lawyer and present these documents to have them assess your case. This is a good way to get an idea of what to expect and to find a lawyer who is interested in your case.

You definitely need to hire a lawyer who has a lot of experience with auto accidents. A lawyer who specializes in this type of case should have worked on many similar cases and will know exactly what to do and how to negotiate with the insurance company or the party responsible for the accident to obtain a larger compensation. Don’t hesitate to meet with more than one lawyer so you can compare their backgrounds, find out more about their track record and choose someone who really seems to be interested in your case and to have enough time.

Nowadays folks use attorneys for a number of reasons that are different. You may discover that it’s mind-boggling for those who have not worked with an attorney before. Several variants have to be looked at. The data in the-the next couple of sentences will allow you to cope with attorneys.

Avoid being scared to fire them, in the event you become aware of the attorney you selected isn’t working which you were intercepting. Being very careful with your money with them is a must, at any given stage scarves can be minimize by you. You simply need the top lawyer on your side when confronting a legal issue.

An excellent trick in the event that if you are considering selecting a lawyer would be to ensure the attorney you choose the questions answers all which you have. That you do not need to decide an attorney who will not understand what is going on and cannot give you straight answer because you’re going to be left at night.

An excellent trick in the event if you are considering selecting a lawyer to keep in mind would be to just take your own time plus also make your hunt exhaustive. A lawyer shouldn’t be impulsively hired by you only because one is needed by you immediately. There are tons of great attorneys out there, which you should be particular to get the finest one for you personally.

Try to make an effort to find a competent solicitor. You must not be depending only on the attorney build and to plan your claim. Undoubtedly, these lawyers are going to have significantly more knowledge and expertise coping with your circumstances, but it is reasonable to associate as a team to get the win should you be prepared.

You notice, when searching through the Yellow Pages, you should not proceed with the first attorney. It’s critically vital that you check the options out to be sure that you will get the greatest. Some attorneys urged by property agents have dropped permits as a result of negligence. Take care when selecting representation that is legal.

Request the guidance of your attorneys in the event you have a fantastic attorney. They are able to both let you know that your situation can be taken on by them, or point you toward an attorney that will assist you. There’s absolutely no reason to to locate guidance elsewhere when you have a lawyer you trust.

Whatever reason brought one to selecting an attorney, you have to prepare yourself for anything comes. Follow the hints from this post in terms of selecting an attorney. Third guidance can do a great deal to lessen the anxiety which will be included and allow you to feel confident in your selection.